Below you will find a list of presentations that were offered at the 2011 Institute.
Session Descriptions are grouped in four interest areas for your convenience.
Infants and Toddlers (pertain to children age birth through 2)
Three- and Four-Year-Olds
Parents as Teachers (pertain to individuals who do in-home visits)
Special Topics (specific, professional topics)
Animals in the Classroom | 9:15 (2 hr) or 11:45 (2 hr)
Humane Society Of Missouri, Missouri Department of Conservation, Saint Louis Zoo (Session B only), Support Dogs
Discover how “Live Animals” can enhance your classroom and provide students with a special opportunity that helps develop care and empathy towards other living organisms. This session presents learning from native wildlife, avoid releasing exotic species into the wild, classroom pets, and outreach programs into your classroom.
Animal Math 2:00 (1 hr)
Jim Jordan, Senior Coordinator, Continuing Education, UMSL
Animals have many attributes for students to explore. Through a variety of hands-on activities we will examine measurement, understanding numbers, sorting and patterns. Finders Keepers, How Many do I Have? and Stripes and Spots are some of the ways animals will make math a little wilder.
Art Experiences for Young Children 9:15 (2 hr)
Kristine Gould, Art Educator, Springboard and SLAM
Learn about visual art media and receive lesson plans/approaches to integrating the visual arts. The session will cover developmental links to art education and the Reggio Emilia approach to education. Participants will sample a variety of art materials and lesson plans.
Art Starts With a Scribble 2:00 (1 hr)
Kathryn Zellich, Ed Consultant
Expressive art experiences are essential components of quality education. This session will focus on the developmental roots of art, the value of process vs. product, and the importance of planning creative activities around the students
emerging interests.
Attachment 8:00 (1 hr)
Lourdes Henares-Levy, MD
The most important property of humankind is the capacity to form and maintain relationships which are absolutely necessary for our survival. Attachment allows us to learn, work, love and procreate, and is what Bruce Perry, MD, calls “emotional glue” or “bonding” and the result is “attachment.”
Autism 101 Recognizing & Treating Autism Spectrum Disorders 9:15 (2 hr) or 11:45 (2 hr)
Melanie Mills, TouchPoint Autism Services
This workshop will provide/teach the basic characteristics of autism and what you need to watch out for in children. It will cover strategies and teaching techniques that we have found to be effective when working with young children on the spectrum.
Calming Strategies through Nurturing Touch & Infant Massage 8:00 (1 hr)
Stacy Altrup, Infant Massage Trainer
Learn basic calming strategies through nurturing touch and infant massage that can be used when working with infants and toddlers. This training will provide you with practical techniques that can be used in the home or classroom setting. Discussions will be provided about the benefits of nurturing touch on a child’s emotional development, the parent or teacher’s role for helping a child stay calm, and strategies that can be implemented immediately.
Connecting Children to Nature – Opportunities and Sites 8:00 (1 hr) or 2:00 (2 hr)
Gateway Children Nature Connection
Today’s children live processed lives. Creating rich, varied outdoor encounters, parents and educators can provide lasting memories with young children while building opportunities for in-depth knowledge and encouraging analytical thought. Learn how the Gateway Children’s Nature Connection and local sites can help you along the way as you reconnect children to the outdoors.
Connecting Parents to the Preschool Classroom 2:00 (1 hr)
Becky Kellerman, Teacher, Ferguson-Florissant School District
This session will stress the importance of the parent/teacher relationship, and discuss ways to get parents involved in their child’s preschool classroom. During this session we will also examine how home visiting is an important tool that can be utilized to make this important connection.
Crawl, Walk, Skip and Run: Getting a Jump Start on Early Literacy 8:00 (1 hr)
Sara Northern, Education Consultant
Discover tips on working with libraries and discuss how children’s books could be incorporated into an early literacy creative curriculum program that parents, childcare providers, early childhood educators and other advocates of young children could implement. Sara will also provide valuable take-home creative curriculum material, which she developed to help participants get a “Jump Start on Early Literacy”.
Creative Movement as Developmental Brain Dance 2:00 (1 hr)
Sarah Anne Patz, Springboard Teaching Artist and Shaare Zedek, Washington University Dance Education Faculty
This session introduces creative movement through “Brain Dance” structure. Experience Creative Dance elements of body, time and space based on early developmental movement patterns and ways that mirror the neurological integration of the Brain Dance sequence. Understand why movement is essential to learning for the young child.
The Developmental Line of Bullying 9:15 (2 hr)
Steve Zwolak, LUME Institute
Explore the developmental line of bullying. When does normal aggression turn into bullying and how can you help support children and parents.
Early Childhood Literacy 2:00 (1 hr)
Pamela Bruce, Parent Educator
The presentation will walk educators through the literacy needs of children from birth to 36 months of age based on the Parents as Teachers curriculum. During the lecture educators will be informed about the benefits of using age appropriate books along with specific instruction to help develop early literacy skills for the children in their classrooms. Participants will have the opportunity to make and take home books.
Effective Discipline with Infant & Toddlers: Dealing with Challenging Behaviors 9:15 (2 hr) or 11:45 (2 hr)
Karen Hoerchler, Parent Educator, Riverview Gardens PAT
This workshop addresses challenging behaviors, why they happen and how we can best deal with them. The focus will be on how to encourage social/emotional development in infants and toddlers, as well as how to help children learn to control their own behavior.
ERACE isms! 9:15 (2 hr) or 11:45 (2 hr)
Alan Shiller, Professor, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
What can be done to deter racism? This workshop will help combat stereotypes involving race as well as other “-isms” like sexism, ageism, and classism. By emphasizing what we all have in common we can also celebrate our differences.
Everyday Math 8:00 (1 hr)
Tracey Stanton, Faculty, St. Louis Community College-Meramec
Participants will explore the many ways Math is present in their classrooms. We will spend time exploring Pre-K Math standards and how common classroom manipulatives meet these standards. Every participant will have an opportunity to make a Math game.
Finger Plays 2:00 (1 hr)
Joy Bender, Early Childhood Educator, UMSL
Toddlers and Two’s love it when teachers do finger plays. Come and hear lots of finger play ideas. See how you can add props for children to use too.
Foodorama: Preventing Childhood Obesity 2:00 (1 hr)
Rabia Rahman, Nutrition Instructor, Saint Louis University
Rabia will focus on the link between early childhood nutrition and the obesity epidemic. Learn strategies and interventions to help curb childhood obesity as well as touch upon media influences which have exacerbated this epidemic.
Fun and Functional Music-Based Activities for the Preschool Settings 8:00 (1 hr)
Maria Carron, Director, Midwest Music Therapy Services
Participants will learn fun and functional music-based activities for their early childhood/preschool setting. The functional use of each activity will be explained and activities will be demonstrated. Participants will receive resources, activity descriptions and song resources ready to use in their setting when they leave the workshop.
Gone FISHin! 9:15 (2 hr) or 11:45 (2 hr)
Bonnie Shiller, Early Childhood Consultant
This highly motivational interactive workshop will share something “fishy” about empowering you and everyone in your workplace to be more alive and engaged by learning the four work principles of the popular FISH! Philosophy: Be there, choose your attitude, play, and make their day. This inspiring session will encourage all who attend to find energy, passion and happiness by learning to love what you do, even if at the time you may not being doing what you love.
Infants and Toddlers as the True Scientists: Science and Nature Activities for Our Youngest Scientists 8:00 (1 hr)
Jennifer Fruend, Science Educator, UMSL
Infant and Toddler development and play is aligned with scientific inquiry. Learn to integrate nature and facilitate inquiry through easy and inexpensive science activities.
Infant Massage: The Power of Touch 2:00 (1 hr)
Suzanne Tucker, PT and Certified Infant Massage Trainer
Infant Massage is one of the most natural and rewarding methods of providing early nurturing contact for parents and caregivers. Clinical evidence now echoes ancient wisdom, that Infant Massage has many powerful benefits. In this presentation you will learn about the science of touch and why massage can play a vital role in supporting a child’s healthy development, body, mind and soul. You will also learn how to perform a basic infant massage and receive practical tips to encourage parents and caregivers to incorporate touch into their infant and/or young child(ren)’s lives.
Love & Logic for Early Childhood 11:45 (2 hr)
Suzanne Salmo, Ed Consultant, United Services
Love & logic is on practical, positive, and fun approach that gives educators and parents the tools necessary for creating responsible kids. Easy-to-learn techniques include offering choices, setting limits without anger, and providing consequences with empathy. Participants will learn to have more fun and less stress with their kids.
From Messy to Monet: How Children Express Themselves Through Art 11:45 (2 hr)
Janet Rinehart, Director, Project Construct
Children have an intrinsic desire to make sense of their world. They can naturally express and communicate their ideas through the art of painting, drawing and sculpting. Using hands-on experiences, participants will explore new ideas surrounding children as image-makers and the importance of expressive arts in the development of young children.
Music and Movement 8:00 (1 hr)
Rose Anderson-Rice, Director, St. Louis for Kids
Music is such an important part of any early childhood experience and helps children tune in when they would otherwise tune out. Come learn exciting ways to use music and movement outside of group time. You can make a song out of anything whether you are a songbird or not!
Nature Inquiry and Notebooking: Science, Nature and Discovery-Driven Literacy 2:00 (1 hr)
Jennifer Fruend, Science Educator, UMSL
Emerging readers and writers have amazing ideas if given the opportunity to get messy and get into the wild world of schoolyard ecology. Tap into your inner scientist and think like a young child about the simple things just outside your classroom door. Notebooking ideas and inexpensive alternatives are offered.
Once Upon A Time: Language Development Using Puppets 2:00 (1 hr)
Cathie Robertson, Ed Consultant
You will learn how to increase your student language development by learning how to tell stories using puppets. You will then learn how to teach your students to tell stories using puppets further increasing their language development.
Overtaking, Overhelping, Overteaching 8:00 (1 hr)
Molly Duncan, PAT Trainer, Kirkwood School District
Principles and ideas for encouraging pre-school children to “do their own thing” without excessive adult intervention which leads to the “I can do it” spirit. 3-4 year old child development will be reviewed as it relates to the topic.
Outdoor Explorations 11:45 (2 hr)
Laura Seger, Early Childhood Programs Coordinator, Saint Louis Zoo
Looking for easy activities that help better connect children with the natural world? Powerful outdoor explorations are possible, even with very little green space. Join us as we discover engaging hands-on activities that can be done both in and out of the classroom, and that provide those awe and wonder moments that encourage children to spend more time exploring the great outdoors.
From Pieces and Parts to a Professional Development System 8:00 (1 hr)
Daryl Rothman, Coordinating Board for Early Childhood
This session will recap the evolution of the many moving parts of professional development in Missouri as they coalesce toward an integrated system. From trainer registration to credentialing, and upcoming opportunities to early learning standards and more, this is the session for all things “professional development!” Bring your good ideas!
The Power of Babies 8:00 (1 hr)
Carrie Simpson, Parent Educator, Fort Zumwalt School District
In this class we will discuss the amazing growth of infants and their parents. We will also examine the power of parental influence over their child’s development.
Pretend Play: What Does It Look Like for Infants & Toddlers 2:00 (1 hr)
Lynn Navin, Director, University Child Development Center
Karen Taylor, Coordinator, University Child Development Center
How do children under the age of 3 engage in pretend play? What can teachers do to support pretend play? Come hear ideas about this important area of development.
Reactive Attachment Disorder: Distant Children 9:15 (2 hr) or 11:45 (2 hr)
Peggy Thoenen, Early Childhood Consultant
Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) kids are in your classrooms. Some are quiet while others are aggressive. Join us as we discuss the RAD child and how we can help them in making healthy connections.
Ready or Not, Here I Come! 9:15 (2 hr)
Kate Hannon and Theresa Strothkamp, Programs & Community Relations Director, The Belle Center
In today’s diverse, inclusive classrooms we all need a game plan. As teachers, our challenge is to know and value every player. Their labels, scores and diagnosis will not begin to tell us who they are. Join us in asking the questions and sharing some answers that have helped others get ready because we all know this “come as you are party” is going to happen!
Reading Your Way Through the Solar System 8:00 (1 hr)
Robert Powell, Education Coordinator, Challenger Center
The transition from pre-K to kindergarten is an exciting time! Join us in a conversation about child readiness, parent readiness and readiness of the receiving kindergarten classroom.
Redirecting Children’s Behavior 8:00 (1 hr)
Gail Strubberg, Preschool Teacher, Washington School District
Learn why children misbehave and how to resolve conflicts without power struggles, minimize whining, build self-confidence, and handle the child who demands your attention by using positive discipline techniques that work at home and in the classroom.
Rolling into Kindergarten 8:00 (1 hr)
John Kulla-Branz, Adjunct Professor Early Childhood, SIU-Edwardsville
Christine Kulla-Branz, Director, Early Childhood Education, Riverview Gardens School District
In this hands-on, interactive workshop, participants will receive information about books that teachers and parents can use with early childhood learners. The presenter will then share some activities that can be used to compliment the topics in the books.
Seed to Table: One Schools Success Story 8:00 (1 hr)
Debbie Gibson, Director Seed to Table Program at MRH School District
Discover how the Seed to Table program at MRH is a model for other school districts. Goals include: promoting health, education and wellness by connecting children to the natural world. The presentation presents an overview of the vision, goals, and success of creating a sustainable school.
Sleep Problems In Young Children: 5 months to 5 years 2:00 (1 hr)
Nancy Birkenmeier, BSN, RN, St. Luke’s Hospital Sleep Medicine Center
Sleep problems in young children are common and can affect the entire family. Children can become exhausted, irritable and have difficulty learning. This presentation will provide information about good sleep habits, schedules, routines, common sleep problems and plenty of handouts.
Storytime Math and Science 9:15 (2 hr) or 11:45 (2 hr)
Julie Tubbs, Director of Community Education, St. Louis Magic House
Employing favorite children’s books as a springboard, teachers will gather new ideas on using story time to integrate basic hands-on science and math activities into the early childhood curriculum. Included are make-and-takes, patterns and a bibliography.
Stress and Families with Young Children 9:15 (2 hr)
David Levy, Social Worker, St. Louis private practice
Stress affects all of us, yet young children are particularly vulnerable and we often see it in their mood and behavior. Discussion will focus on ways teachers can help parents and young children learn to manage the many stresses that families face today.
Taking Care of Yourself 2:00 (1hr)
Gail Strubberg, Preschool Teacher, Washington School District
Teaching young children is very rewarding and sometimes exhausting. Are you always putting everyone else first, before yourself? Do you ever feel like you are burning the candle at both ends? Join us and learn how to create more balance in your life without doing more.
Understanding a Child’s Behavior and Temperament Traits 8:00 (1hr)
Roxeanna Steiner, Parent Educator
Active or quiet, predictable or unpredictable, negative or pleasantly happy, persistent or frustrates easily? Children are born with their own special style of behavior and unique temperament. All children can be challenging at times, but understanding a child’s temperament traits helps manage and create a flexible care-giving environment.
Understanding and Managing Aggressive Children and the Role of Superheroes and Fantasy in Aggressive Play 9:15 (2 hr)
J Douglas Pettinelli, Center for Counseling & Family Therapy
This session will provide a developmental understanding of aggressive play. Material presented will focus on how to assist children to regulate strong emotions. A developmental understanding of the role of super heros and other fantasy figures in aggressive play will also be discussed.
Crucial Early Years
